This game is essentially a win or go home type of contest. The Illini need to come out with a victory or they move to 12-9 on the season and 2-6 in the Big Ten.
Illinois has also dropped their past three games and five out of their last seven. That trend needs to stop as well. They need to win this game and then beat Penn State on the road.
The Illini haven’t been competitive in their last two games, but they come back home where they tend to play much better. Their last home game was a gut-wrenching loss to Maryland.